NIMH Prequel: Before the storm
by bixbydanville
Summary: Jonathan and the rats have settled down in the Fitzgibbons' farm, but what about Mrs. Brisby? Her near death experience has left her questioning the identity of her new savior and of her past. Prequels the events of the movie. How did they meet?


Ha! HAHAHA! MUHAHAHAHAHAHA!

First attempt at a fan fiction and I chose the most obscure story to write about :D

Now on with the crap I must say...

I do not own any of the characters from the book "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" or the movie "The Secret of NIMH" and I most likely never will.

The bulk of this fic is based on the movie.

**Chapter One**

"What are we to do?" Justin sighed. The escapees of Nimh had reached the end. Just a few inches from them was freedom, but a large metal grate stood in their way. All they could do is stare at the dark starry sky, searching for a way out. Amongst the surviving rats were two mice, Jonathan Brisby and William Ages. Still stunned from the loss of the other six mice, Jonathan was clenching the red guide thread, desperately waiting for anything to appear from the darkness of the ventilation shaft.

"Jonathan, I'm sorry... There's nothing we can do" Ages sighed, placing a paw on his shoulder.

"No! Why are we to live when they risked their lives for our safety!" Jonathan shrugged the paw off. Moments ago a freak gust of wind had blown the mice down the ventilation shaft and into darkness; nothing but their screams could be heard. The two in front, Jonathan and William, were helped up by the rats and survived.

Near the grate was was Jenner and Justin, arguing.

"This was yours and Nicodemus' plan, to sneak out in the night! Now look was has happened! We can't just sit here and wait for death!" Jenner was on a verbal assault.

"Well, what did you want to do?! We can't fight the humans, they would just exterminate us!"

"Stop! Both of you!" Nicodemus grabbed Justin and dragged him away, passing a frustrated Brutus who was tugging on the grate. Justin was still growling when something caught his eye.

"Jonathan!" The mouse just turned to face Justin and let go of the string. Justin was pointing at a small opening in the grate and Jonathan knew at once. He scurried towards the hole and managed to squirm through. Seconds later the massive grate came crashing down to a chorus of cheering rats.

The distressed young farm mouse cautiously pawed through the tall grass. The day was to an end and she was still outside in the dense grass. The heat and haze of the summer meant that nighttime travel was incredibly dangerous. It was warm enough for the snakes to hunt, yet to dark to make any sense of your location. She stopped and sniffed the muggy air, trying to get a sense of her surroundings. All she could smell was the thick grogginess of the mud surrounding her. Suddenly she felt the ground below her start to give way. Grasping a nearby stick, she drove it into the dry ground near the mud. It managed to slow the sinking, but she could not escape.

"Help!" she shouted. "Somebody... please help" Memories of her family started to flood her mind. That day, that unforgettable day. The fire. The screams. The blood.

_The Sanders residence was bustling with life. Smells of a home warming meal permeated the air as the little mouse relaxed by the fireplace. The sounds of her mother humming and preparing a meal for her family calmed the frightened little mouse. She was wrapped in a soft crimson blanket and was staring at the flickering flames dance across the floor. Every so often a crackling sound would startle her and she would back away, only to return soon after. Her father was sleeping on the chair behind her with his pipe lazily hanging from his mouth. She always knew that smell of the pipe, it meant her father was home from a long day of collecting food._

_Mrs. Sanders entered the room, holding a pan filled with a baked cheese potato and a some peas. The young Sanders leapt up at the smell of the sizzling cheese and playfully shook her father. His kind face awoke and he gazed up at her with his dark brown eyes. Chuckling, he lifted her up and spun around, carrying her into the kitchen. She took the pipe from his mouth and he blew a ring of smoke into the air. Suddenly, the pipe dropped as the house rumbled and the old grandfather clock came crashing to the ground. She heard the screams of her mother and father and then... darkness..._

"Hold on!" The young Sanders was in a daze. Weak and gasping for air, she felt her self being pulled from the mud and onto the dry ground. Her eyes fluttered open. Gazing down at her was a pair of deep brown eyes. The mouse said nothing as he rose and ran into the grass.

"Don't go..." she groaned and rolled over. Her crimson blanket had been torn by the stick and had been placed next to her. She dragged it towards her and quietly sobbed into it.


End file.
